A dermatologist is a medical doctor specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the skin, hair, and nails. This specialty covers over 3,000 different diseases, ranging from common issues like acne and eczema to serious conditions such as skin cancer. Since the skin is the body’s largest organ, its health often indicates overall wellness. Knowing what to expect helps patients feel comfortable and ensures the visit is productive.
Preparing for Your Appointment
Preparation begins before the appointment to ensure the physician has accurate data. Patients should gather necessary documents, such as insurance cards and referral forms. It is also important to compile a complete list of all current medications and supplements, as these can affect skin health or interact with new treatments.
Physical preparation involves removing substances that might obscure the skin or nail beds. Patients should avoid wearing makeup, heavy lotions, or foundations, allowing the physician to assess the skin’s natural state. Nail polish should be removed from fingers and toes, as the health of the nail tissue can reveal signs of infection or skin cancer.
Wearing comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that is easy to remove will simplify the physical examination. It is helpful to take notes on specific concerns, including when symptoms began, their duration, and any changes to existing moles or lesions. Bringing a small notebook is advisable for jotting down the doctor’s instructions or questions during the consultation.
What Happens During the Skin Exam
The appointment starts with a consultation where the dermatologist reviews the patient’s medical history and discusses the primary reason for the visit. The physician asks detailed questions about the patient’s symptoms, including their duration, severity, and any known triggers, which helps narrow the potential diagnosis. This history-taking phase sets the stage for the physical assessment.
The physical exam varies based on the patient’s concern, falling into two types: a targeted exam for a specific issue or a full-body skin check. For a full-body check, the patient is typically asked to change into a gown, usually keeping undergarments on unless those areas are specifically concerning. The examination is a meticulous head-to-toe visual inspection.
The dermatologist systematically checks the skin, including areas often overlooked, such as the scalp, behind the ears, palms, soles of the feet, and between the toes. The physician often uses a small, handheld magnifying device called a dermatoscope to closely examine suspicious moles or lesions. This device uses polarized light to visualize the deeper layers of the skin. This helps differentiate between benign spots and early signs of skin cancer.
Understanding Treatment and Next Steps
Following the physical examination, the dermatologist discusses their findings and provides a diagnosis. If the condition is straightforward, such as a common rash or mild acne, the physician recommends a treatment plan, often including topical or oral medications. For more complex or uncertain lesions, immediate in-office procedures may be necessary for further investigation.
One common procedure is a skin biopsy, performed when a lesion appears suspicious or a definitive diagnosis is needed. This involves cleansing and numbing the area with a local anesthetic injection, which may cause a brief stinging sensation. Depending on the lesion’s nature, the physician may perform a shave biopsy to sample the top layer or a punch biopsy to remove a deeper, cylindrical core of tissue.
Another element is cryotherapy, where liquid nitrogen is applied to freeze and destroy benign or precancerous growths like warts or actinic keratoses. Any tissue removed, such as a biopsy sample, is sent to a specialized lab for analysis by a dermatopathologist.
The dermatologist contacts the patient with the results, usually within seven to ten days, to discuss further treatment or surgical excisions. The appointment concludes with scheduling a follow-up visit and providing detailed instructions for wound care or managing new prescriptions.